by On August 14, two of Earth’s neighbors will appear frighteningly close to each other in the sky, as the orbits of Mars and Jupiter make them appear almost touching.
A conjunction is an astronomical term for the case where two or more bodies in space approach each other, relative to the view from Earth. Although the objects appear to be close together, they may actually be millions or trillions of miles apart. In the case of the conjunction of Mars and Jupiter, the two planets are more than 500 million kilometers apart at their closest approach.
After the conjunction, according to EarthSky, Mars will begin to slowly rise higher in the sky from our perspective on Earth, while Jupiter will also move upward, albeit faster, and eventually move away toward the evening sky.
The pair will begin their celestial rendezvous at about 10:30 p.m. on August 13, although the best viewing from the east coast will be in the hours before sunrise the following day. The two planets will be visible to the naked eye as always. Jupiter will be the brighter of the two and can be contrasted with Mars’ distinctive red hue. With good binoculars, Jupiter’s moons may be visible, and for telescope owners, the two planets will be visible in the same view.
To catch a glimpse of the conjunction, look to the eastern sky. The planetary constellation will appear in front of the constellation Taurus, near Aldebaran. Skygazing apps like Sky Guide and StarMap 3D+ can also help you find the pair in the night sky.
Conjunctions between Mars and Jupiter are not that rare, occurring about every 26 to 27 months. The last time the two planets passed each other was in 2022. However, this year’s conjunction is notable because the two planets will appear so close together. According to Space.com, Mars and Jupiter will not appear this close together again until December 1, 2033.
“Planetary conjunctions have traditionally been the subject of astrology rather than serious astronomy, but they never fail to impress when observed, especially when gas giants are involved,” said Mitzi Adams, an astronomer and researcher at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, in a post on the space agency’s website about the 2022 conjunction.
If you can’t see the conjunction yourself, don’t worry. The Virtual Telescope Project will be livestreaming the event.
